robG

I have a 1986 951 and was looking to replace the power steering rack with a rebuilt one from autozone, which seems like it will work according to this thread. My question is what other items might I want to grab at the same time to do this job? It seems like all the major online part sites seem to be a minimum of 5 days to get anything to New England and I don't want to wait another week waiting for a bushing or washer or something.

I have no reason to suspect the tie rods have any issue, and the whole power steering system seems relatively leak free (resevoir, pump, cooler, and hoses). I've been getting a groaning noise coming from the driver side of the rack (either under the boot or behind it). Can I reuse the boots (they look to be in good condition), or expect boots to come with the rebuilt rack?

Going through the procedure on Clark's garage it seems like I have the tools needed.

Thanks!

JohnKoaWood

New crush washers, and might want to think about new banjo bolts... some have had them break when trying to be removed... might as well do tie rod ends while it is all apart, if the inner are OK, else replace the entire tie rod on both sides...

robG

If I am reading you right, are you suggesting:
banjo bolts (2)
crush washers (4)
tie rods (2)
tie rod ends (2)

Anything else a NAPA or autozone wouldn't have in stock? Maybe a boot kit? Thanks again!

JohnKoaWood

When ordering the rack, ask them if it has new boots, it SHOULD, but... you don't want to find yourself waiting for a boot that didn't come with the rack, and tore on removal from the old one... they can be kind of finicky coming off (when I rebuilt my rack I had to cut the old boots off..)

On reason I add the tie rods is if replacing the rack, new tie rods are easy to do at the same time, and are bound to eventually fail anyway...

Try to see if either Advanced Auto, Napa, or autozone can get you a complete rack with boots, tie rods, and tie rod ends...

robG

In the photo below, 2, 5, 8, 10, 15, 15a, and 17 are items that should be replaced.
2 and 8 are listed as "seals", these are the "crush washers"?
5 - cotter pin (if present) might be reusable, or locally available?
17 - (Nut) - Says replace as necessary. Would this come with the tie rods? Looking closer at the "tie rod" link I posted above, it seems to be the entire assembly (including the ends) so perhaps the cotter pin and nut are included. I'll have to check on that.
15, 15a, and 10 are clear.

Seems like I might want to grab a steering rack lock bolt too. Anything else?
Thanks!



As an update (10-27-09): 2 and 8 are replace if necessary crush washers. Depending on what type of tie rod ends you get, there will be a castellated nut (with a place for a cotter pin (locally available) or a lock nut. The whole power tie rods (rods + ends) available at pelican (Oct. 2009) are castle nuts. 17 comes with.

The autozone rebuilt rack I ordered online (the only one available online @ autozone for an '86 944T) did not come with rubber boots or inner tie rods.

joeytoad83

the auto zone rebuilt one usually come with new inner tie rods and boots.

Silver Rose

I did this last week and my best surch lead to Zims Autotechnik having the best price I could find at $289.00 for a rebuilt. It was a basic rack so you will need to swap over the tie rods.
If your rack was leaking you need to do the bushings (15 in the picture) as they will swell up from the fluid. If you want to really go big Paragon sells delron bushings for around $80 a side, but it's a lot to ask over $15 for the stock.
Once the rack is out check the universal joints on the shaft from the rack to the steering colum. If you can feel play with your hand they are bad. Mine had gone bad from the rack sliding in the worn out bushings. The intermidate shaft is a big job on a turbo, but boy it turns nice now!!
Hope this helps!!